NEMA Introduces Mandatory Mexican Standard for Control and Distribution Equipment

The National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) has announced that NMX-J-515-ANCE-2008 Control and Distribution Equipment-Safety General Requirements-Specification and Test Methods will be introduced and enforced in Mexico. It becomes effective in November 2009.

This new standard, which applies to both the North American and IEC designs of molded-case circuit breakers, will be referenced in NOM-003. This makes the new NMX 515 a mandatory standard. It will play an important role in reducing the number of counterfeit circuit breakers found in Mexico as it will require testing of all breakers. Accredited testing can be conducted at the Testing Laboratory of Equipment and Materials (LAPEM) of Mexico's Federal Electrical Commission (CFE).

NMX-J-515-ANCE-2008 represents the joint efforts of NEMA, CANENA (Council for Harmonization of Electrotechnical Standards of the Nations of the Americas), CANEME (National Chamber of Electrical Manufacturers), ANCE (National Association of Standardization and Certification for the Electrical Sector), and CSA (Canadian Standards Association, a nationally recognized testing laboratory). For more than 10 years these organizations have worked with Mexican manufacturers in the development and enforcement of circuit breaker standards. This effort produced the tri-national standard UL 489/CSA 22.2 No.5/NMX-J-266-ANCE, which harmonizes the requirements for the U.S., Canada, and Mexico.